


Remade

by CyberSearcher



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I was supposed to make this 🔥 but I had Zero Clue How, Kinda, Mild Blood, Robot blood, blame discord, ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:47:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24620314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyberSearcher/pseuds/CyberSearcher
Summary: Zane first patrol in the months after returning from Chen’s Island are familiar and a bit scary. But refreshing compared to his teams constant ‘mother hen-ing’.He doesn’t expect to find a familiar - and half forgotten - face as well.
Relationships: Cryptor & Zane (Ninjago), Not Really, implied Cryptor/Zane (Ninjago)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 40





	Remade

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, this turned out to be a lot more investing than I expected. For a crack ship born of the 3 AM Gods, this... kinda worked. 
> 
> Will work, hopefully.
> 
> Big Thank to Discord. Biggest of Thank.

Zane stood at the edges of a skyscraper, hidden in the shadows of carved statues and the blackened sky. Below him, the rattle of skytrams and pulsing neon filled the air. Exhaling, he relaxed his grip on the stones and zoomed in on his target. 

He pulled up a small list of Borg Stores in his HUD - one of the few useful perks of his new body - and re-read through the details of their robberies. All of them were stripped of their stock, but none of the money was touched. Cameras and security systems were always deactivated, not even a fingerprint could be found. 

Most of the others hadn’t had much luck and tonight the nindroid had insisted he could take this patrol by himself. Zane smiled as he recalled the fuss Jay made while he double and triple checked his mechanics for even the slightest hiccup. 

Lloyd and Kai still insisted they go with him, hiding their own exhaustion. Cole said nothing to stop him, but pulled him in for a tight and lingering hug before he left. 

He’d be lying if he said the affection wasn’t unwanted. Still, the nindroid knew he’d have to learn to work independently again. As the hours passed with little to no activity, Zane began cycling through pictures and short clips of his best memories. 

He leapt between rooftops and fire escapes as he made his way around the block. Leaning over to look down at the streets, he squinted and zoomed up at the shaded sidewalks. Frustration began to creep in until he realized he wasn’t restricted to normal vision. 

Tapping the side of his head, Zane blinked as his world turned into a colourful mess of heat signatures. The nindroid could see small spots of orange that represented people and yellow tinted circles under street lamps. 

But on the opposite side of the roads, Zane could see a patch of lime green moving across the alleys in short, calculated movements. He switched off his heat-vision and predicted where the figure would be moving next. 

To his surprise, Zane realized that he couldn’t see the stranger at all. The only sign of movement was a plastic bag that folded under an invisible foot. 

His fingers curled around his shuriken. Switching between heat vision, Zanes tracked the figure and climbed power lines that stretched across buildings. Landing silently, the nindroid waited atop the Borg Store the stranger was heading towards. 

His core beat fast against his metal casing, Zane’s joints tensed as he watched the alley for the invisible thief. They kicked away a newspaper that flew against their leg. 

The nindroid leapt off the roof, bringing his leg down across their head. 

He brushed air and ended up cracking the pavement. Zane’s hydraulics hissed at the pressure and he used the lasp momentum to flip back and ready his weapons. 

A mechanical growl tore through the alley. The sound stunned him for one precious moment. Zane looked up and tensed when he saw two blazing red orbs. The light from them both illuminated the strangers face. 

Most of what Zane could see was a mask of black and purple. A mask and hood hid his mouth and a silver eyepiece was fixed over his right eye. The rest of his body was obscured by the shadows, chest and arms tinted crimson. 

“Are you the one who’s been robbing stores?” Zane asked, carefully watching for their next move. 

The mechanical snarling suddenly stopped. 

_”You.”_

Zane couldn’t predict the speed of his attacker. Hands squeezed his shoulder and forced him against a dumpster. He screamed as the casing around his arms began to crack. He grabbed a hand and spun free. 

He roared and charged Zane again. The nindroid caught the first clawing attack, but the second dug sharp nails into his neck. His grip was worse than a vice and Zane dropped his shuriken, fighting to pry loose as he was forced into eye level with the stranger. 

Zane choked for air, trying to speak. “W-w-h-ho a-are - ”

“You don’t remember?!”

They threw off their hood and tore off the mask. This close, Zane could see the seams of metal across his face. His jaw was exposed, revealing wicked fangs that were clenched and sparking with fury. 

“How could you forget! You killed my master!” He roared. Zane could smell iron and ozone, hanging thick in the air between them. 

“I - I don’t understand.” The nindroid hissed as the pressure around his throat tightened. 

His hand moved from his arm to his chest. Zane shoved him back with a pillar of ice that drowned out his angry screams. He fell to his knees, wiping his hand against the wound and feeling oil and lubricants smear his fingers. 

“How could you forget!” 

He looked up and rolled out of the way. The shriek of metal tearing made Zane flinch as he swiped his weapons off the ground and made sure to keep his distance. He dodged as a broken sheet of steel flew past his head

“You insolent, outdated bastard!” 

Zane watched the man stalking out of the darkness between buildings. His hands twitched erratically, one pressed against the side of his head and he gave a hiss of pain. The nindroid took a hesitant step forward. 

“Please, I’m sorry I don’t remember you. Could you tell me - “

“Shut up!” He yelled, shaking away his confusion before charging Zane again. 

By now, he’d grown hesitant to use his weapons. The master of ice grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, catching the second as they tried to scratch at his side. He flipped him around and pinned his chest against a wall.

“I don’t understand.” Zane squirmed, struggling to hold the other down.

“You really are an incompitant prototype.” They snarled.

The attacker suddenly disappeared under his hands. Zane dropped his grip just as someone grabbed his collar, kicked his knee and sent him crashing into the ground. 

Something sharp was pressed against his neck and a weight straddled his hips. Zane panted and fought but was stopped by a blinding flash of pain as teeth sank into his neck. At that moment, he was too stunned to scream. 

Glowing blue liquid dribbled out of the wound, pooling under his head and staining his clothes. He closed his eyes and struggled harder to escape, only for the invisible elbow at his neck to force his chin up. 

His attacker's mouth was smeared with coolants, contrasting the hellish shine from his eyes. He lowered himself so their noses barely brushed. Zane could hear a mechanical purring deep within the others chest. 

“Look at me and say you don’t remember who I am.” 

“I - I… don’t - “ 

Zane’s breath crystallized against scratched chrome. Frost curled and melted down his cheeks, mixing with the mess of blue blood coating his exposed fangs. The pressure at his throat eased in favor of pinning his arms above his head. 

The light from his eyes grew brighter as Zane twisted his grip to try and throw the other off. A hand shoved at his chest, directly over his heart. The nindroid froze. His attacker just scoffed. 

“How could… someone like you kill my master.” They rumbled against his ear. “Someone like you…” 

A memory floated to the surface. Zane gasped. 

“Cryptor?” 

He looked surprised, as if he really expected him not to say his name. The former commander continued to stare him down and squeezed at his wrists. 

“Finally processed it, took you long enough.” 

Cryptor raised his head back and released one of his hands to drag claws down Zane’s cheek. He leaned as far as he could, but the other nindroid just dug harder against the metal. Zane grit his teeth as the sound of grating filled his ears. 

“I thought I’d never get this chance. I thought it was over the moment you exploded in front of your friends.” He spat the last word like it was poison. “But then, I find you. I can’t believe how lucky I am.”

The master of ice fought to control his panic. He met Cryptors gaze and didn’t flinch when his claws tapped at his cheek. 

“The Overlord was a tyrant.” Zane started. “He placed innocents in danger and made you do horrible things. Why continue to follow him after his demise?” 

“Because he was my master!” Cryptor yelled. 

Sharp fingertips dug into his face. Zane sucked in a breath, trying to find a way to keep Cryptor from just killing him. He resolved to just keep talking. Mentally, he scanned airwaves to check that nothing was monitoring or blocking his signal and sent his distress beacon.

The black nindroid wasn’t done his ranting at least. 

“Overlord was my creator! He gave me my purpose! What other reason to give my loyalty to him?” 

“His orders were to cause destruction and chaos.” 

“Those too weak to fight for themselves deserve to be culled.” Zane went stiff as claws tore across his Gi. “How could you be so easily defeated… and - it doesn’t matter. None of it matters!” 

His shirt was in ruins and Cryptors was looming dangerously over his power source. Zane calculated he had only minutes left until his friends were here. The place shine of his core cast white light between them both from under the cracks and seams of his chest. 

The black nindroid splayed a hand across it. “How could someone as… as pathetic and reliant kill my master? How!” 

It took a precarious moment for Zane to realize Cryptor was actually expecting an answer. The hand at his chest dug into the metal and he gasped at the shock it sent through his system. 

“I can only give you my honest answer. I have no reason to lie,” Zane said, keeping his eyes level with Cryptor, “I did not know if it was possible to kill the Overlord and I did not know what would happen in that moment or after.” 

“Then why did you do it?” He growled. 

They were so close. Zane realized that the other nindroid had tiny, nearly invisible seams across his face. His breathing was harsh, ragged and broken. What little hair he had was matted and oily black. He could see that the lense of his eyepiece was cracked. 

“Because I knew I had to try if it meant protecting those who could not save themselves. Despite the fear, I knew it was the right thing to do. I hold no regrets.” 

Cryptor narrows his eye. Zane felt the pressure across his body lift for a moment. 

He was pulled up by the shoulders. His head cracked against the bricks. Zane cried out as his vision was filled with static. 

“That makes no sense!” Cryptor growled in his ear. His grip was firm, but his fingers twitched erratically. “There is - that shouldn’t be possible! I don’t - why? Why don’t you know? Tell me!” 

His throat was pouring out sharp clicking that struck Zane as a familiar sound. From the nights after his father's death. 

“Cryptor?” His voice was soft. 

He pressed his forehead against his chest. Even with his weak grip, Zane couldn’t find it in himself to pull away. “Why can you be so… content? How? How is it possible?” 

“I understand your confusion.” He said honestly. “It took me many years to understand and it will take many more. But… if I may ask, why do you still see the Overlord as your leader? He is gone.” 

The clicking turned back into a snarl for a moment. “He created me, I though you were smart enough to understand that? Or did you not care for your ‘father’ the same way?” 

That comment stunned Zane. His instincts screamed at him to freeze Cryptor into the wall and shatter him like glass. Frost began to curl over the black nindroids hands. 

He closed his eyes, breathed, then slowly nodded.

“You are correct. I did care for my father. I loved him as he loved me. I trusted his instructions and have never questioned them either. Did - do you see the Overlord as your father? Or as a master?” 

“I already told you, scrap heap.” Cryptor snarled. 

“Did the Overlord care for you?” He asked. “Did he love you?” 

“He - “ 

The black nindroid paused. Zane could see his lone eye blinking rapidly, mouth pressed in a thin line. Above them both, Zane saw the shadows move. 

“Please, forgive me. I wish to see you again soon.” 

Cryptor looked up at him. Zane was startled by his expression. He looked lost. His lips were parted, opening and closing as he searched for what to say. 

The master of ice shoved him back just as an something flew from above and stuck itself in his neck. He cried out as blue light rippled across his body. Zane wanted to look away, but followed the other nindroid to the ground as he fell to his knees. 

As the light faded, Cryptors went limp as his limbs twitched from the static. Zane reached our, ignoring the flickering pain and placed a hand on his face . He turned him upward and smoothed his thumb across cheek.

“W-w-h- _hy_?” 

“We couldn’t let you roam free. But I promise you, I did not lie. And… I think I understand why you hate me. You are jealous of what I have and confused about your own purpose, perhaps more.” 

He heard Jay whoop overhead as the rest of the team jumped down. Each of them wore expressions of different levels of shock, fear and satisfaction. Each that quickly turned to confusion as they watched Zane. 

“I hope that when your awake, you will still speak to me. I am sorry Cryptor.” 

His eyes gave one last, weak flicker. The silver nindroid saw a hand that was reaching for him suddenly drop dead against the pavement. Cryptors posture was curled inward, knees pulled up to his chest and face tense even while passed out. 

Zane brushed a hand over his eyes, giving them the illusion he was properly asleep.


End file.
